Denis Alphonsus Quinn

“ When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political hands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. ”

“ And God said, let us make man in our image and after our likeness, and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth and over every creeping thing upon the earth. ”

“ In fact the collocation of capital letters and other logograms, without space, is a beautiful feature of the art. We will explain:
"All the consonants of the English alphabet, when written as CAPITALS, are logograms or word-signs that require no space before or after. Four letters, G, J, Q, X, (being of less frequent use) , are also used for affixes besides being word-signs. The capital letter B invariably stands for be, by, but; C stands for say, sea, see. It can never mean anything else. D is used to express day, die, do; F is the word-sign for of, if. off; G stands for God, go, age. ”

“ Business shorthand writers do not need often to write more than sixty or eighty words a minute, and when they write faster, it is but for a few minutes at a time. Very few writers can sustain 150 words a minute, and the talk of writing 250 words is rank nonsense. Most of the big stories of phenomenal shorthand feats come from the far West. The farther away from New York the source of the story the higher the rate. Not long ago there was a yarn about a man who was ambitious to write 300 words a minute. ”

“ That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new governon ment, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. ”

“ It may, at once, be understood that anyone who is expert at the typewriter, will have no difficulty whatever in becoming a speedy Stenotypist.
8. Stenotypy dispenses with the use of text and exercise books, and saves the time (averaging from six to twelve months) necessary to acquire proficiency in shorthand, besides the expenses of a teacher.
9. As no pen wielded by a human hand can compete in speed with an ordinary typewriter, for the same reason can no reporter or penman write as fast as a Stenotypist. Stenotypy is simply shorthand operated by a typewriter. ”

“ A typewriter who can write 60 words a minute can, by using the logograms of Stenotypy, multiply this rate by two and a half (at least) , speeding 150 words a minute, or saving of six out of ten hours' labor. Eighty words a minute (a speed which hundreds of typewriters attain) , would, by Stenotypy, average 200 words per minute–a speed which no living reporter, who writes legibly, can ever reach by any other system. The Stenotyper writes in this rapid way every word, using vowels and consonants that in no other system could be used. ”

“ For legibility and rapidity your system is infinitely preferable to any of the known systems of shorthand. The fact that in two days I got control of its principles, shows how easy of acquisition and practical your invention is. For those who have neither the time nor aptitude to learn any of the complicated systems in vogue, Stenotypy is invaluable. ”

“ In concluding this little treatise, the author begs to state and challenges any reporter in America to gainsay his remarks, that wherever a typewriting machine can be used, Stenotypy surpasses in speed and legibility, every known system of shorthand. Indeed, all forms of manual shorthand must inevitably become obsolete. The trolley does not more excel the old "buss," or bob-tail horse-car, than Stenotypy the impracticable and arduous systems of phonography and stenography. ”

“ Writing at a speed of 150 words a minute, no human hand can properly observe two positions above, two below, and one on the line, as McKee, in his "New Rapid " teaches, whilst the shading, the loops and hoops and half full and double lines of Pitman's system and thosc based upon it, render correct writing and facile reading all but impossible. It is also worthy of notice that in Stenotype there are fewer grammalogues and abbreviations to be memorized. Two pages of the alphabet embrace the entire system. ”

“ We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. ”

“ In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms; our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. ”

“ Fifty years ago a skilled shorthand writer was rare, and the art was looked upon as a sort of mystery, and so formidable of attainment as to deter all but the most courageous from attempting to fathom its mysteries.
To write the latter extract, the keys and spacer of a typewriting machine must be struck 150 times according to Stenotype; and 344 times according to the ordinary method. To write the same according to Pitman's phonography, 221 motions of the hand or pen are required; Munson's system 195, and Graham's 193. ”

“ For this reason the best law that has ever passed in our day is that which continues our judges in their posts during their good behavior, without leaving them to the mercy of such, who in ill times, might by an undue influence over them trouble and pervert the course of justice. ”

“ Stenotypy dispenses with Pitman's awkward use of heavy and light strokes and triple positions, as also Pernin's small, large and larger circles and loops for vowels, and lines and divisions of lines for consonants. As a shorthand writer of thirty years experience, the Author found more difficulty in finding out the position and length of lines or curves than to guess the words in their non-vowel form. In rapid writing it is almost impossible to guide a pen or pencil so that it will distinctly mark vertical, oblique and horizontal half or full lines or curves. ”

“ The system of stenotypy is based on the principal of elimination, or getting rid of space whenever this economy does not cause confusion in the reading of the subject matter. Accordingly the author has found it expedient to group, under the headings of grammalogues, prefixes and suffixes, the words of most frequent use in the language, especially those words and suffixes difficult to be read without vowels. It must be carefully borne in mind that wherever a grammalogue, figure, stop, suffix or capital vowel occurs, there must be no space either before or after the next letter. ”

“ A muleteer set forth on a journey, driving before him an Ass and a Mule, both well-laden. The Ass, as long as he traveled along the plain, carried his load with ease; but when he began to ascend the steep path of the mountain, he felt his load to be more than he could bear. ”

“ Although very many women have come into the business and are quite acceptable for business work, and for various other forms of dictation, yet when it comes to long straining work like court work and reporting long speeches, they have not the physical strength. I should say that it would take about two years for a person who is well fitted as to temperament and structure of the hands to become an expert writer of shorthand. ”

“ Stenotypy is exceedingly more legible than any system of phonography or shorthand. In Pitman's, Graham's, Barnes', Pernin's, and all other less popular systems, one sign is made to represent two, and sometimes three letters. For instance: To write the words catholic, character, queen, king, only one sign for the initial letter of each of these letters is phonographically given. N and Q are left out in all phonographic systems. Every reporter knows how difficult it is to designate by heavy and light strokes, or half or double length strokes, P, T ”

“ THE AUTHOR
[1] does not by the title page mean to insinuate that Stenotypy will supersede Phonography in all its adaptations. On the contrary, he wishes to state that the system can be used only in connection with typewriting machines.
While the pen and pencil are more portable, it will be seen at once that Phonography is available in various departments where it would be inconvenient or impossible to use machines.
However, the Author makes bold to assert that wherever a typewriter is available, Stenotypy has decided advantages over all other shorthand systems. ”

“ It is very easy for a shorthand writer to dash off eighty or 100 words per minute; but it often requires years of practice to read what has been so quickly written. Stenotypy is especially adapted for facile reading, besides being adapted to a speed far greater than phonography could ever attain. ”

“ While the phonographic manuscript can be read only by the writer or reporter himself, Stenotypy, being based on the letters of the Alphabet (firmly attached to the machine,) can be read at any time by anyone who understands the language.
6. Whilst scarcely one out of a hundred ever acquires sufficient speed in phonography, the practice of Stenotypy is a pleasant exercise, easily learned, and great speed can be acquired by anyone of ordinary ability.
7. Frequently, the most learned persons are sorry penmen. In Stenotypy nervous and awkward persons are often the fastest typewriters. ”

“ Ksrss; cstion, of Pitman style, are not as legible as the abbreviated form of Stenotypy: xrcs; qstion, meaning exercise, question. In all systems of shorthand the exact positions of signs above, upon and below the line; also, perpendicular and horizontal positions, and half and double length lines must be carefully expressed lest the reading should be rendered impossible. Oftentimes life and property have been jeopardized by the mistaking of a half for a full or a double stroke; or a sign on for a sign above or below the line, Stenotypy can have no letter out of position ”

“ Whenever a typewriter shall be invented that can easily be carried in the pocket (we hope to see it soon in the market) , indeed, phono and stenography will be universally discarded as obsolete and unworthy of a progressive age.
A few of the advantages of Stenotypy are noted on the next two pages. ”

“ The word-signs are so suggestive and plain, that in less than five years the Author expects to see bibles, hymnals and prayer-books in the hands of the old folk," who have discarded their spectacles since this CAPITAL system came into use. There can be no possible confusion in regard to word-spacing. ”

“ Whilst the human eye is undimmed, and the intellect capable of discerning metaphysical and physical excellence, there can be no hesitation in choosing a system which requires but a gentle tap with any of the ten fingers to form a syllable or word, in preference to those pen and pencil systems that require three positions, (McKee has five) above, below and on the line of horizontal, oblique or vertical strokes which must (in Pitmanic systems) , be in heavy or light shading, and of half, whole or double length. ”

“ Like every good thing it demands patience and practice. But the person who has the courage to bestow these will be amply rewarded. Now, my dear Father Quinn, let me again thank you for sending me this work of yours. I assure you I am deeply grateful to you for it and I shall never sit down to my machine to write by this system without thinking of you, and learning every day more and more to appreciate the boon you have conferred on humanity by your system of stenotypy. ”

“ As the air-castles of youthful ambition are gradually disappearing, the Author, now in the evening of his declining years, avers that for no earthly consideration could he be induced to offer a worthless or superficial device to an intelligent English-speak- ing people. Moreover, English-speaking people are not easily imposed upon. ”

“ No regard need be paid to orthographic or correct spelling, only such words as may be considered indispensably necessary to give the sound of the word, must be expressed. As in all phonographic systems, each word expressed by consonants, must be guessed by supplying vowels, or from its position in the context. The reader, after a little practice, will find no difficulty in making out the words expressed by their consonants, as bsk, bbl, bkm, drk, meaning bask or busk, became or become, dark or dirk. ”

“ Before Stenotype becomes a literary and financial success, a little reserved patience will be necessary. But exhaustive labor and fertile brains are eventually sure to appreciate a system which relieves the student from heavy and light strokes and frees him from hooks and loops. Old Jumping Jack-in-the-box, now above, now below, and again upon the line, is fully emancipated. He needs but tap the keys and Stenotypy will do the rest. ”

“ Pittman's invention is one of the ten or twelve most beneficial of the entire century. It has completely revolutionized reporting and letter writing.
Just how many shorthand writers there are in New York it would be difficult to state, probably from 4500 to 5000. The number has increased with great rapidity during the last three or four years, and there are now probably more women than men in New York, who make their living in this way. In 1887 there were about 2500 shorthand writers here all told, of whom about 1000 were women. The first woman to write shorthand here was a Mrs. ”